Harrogate’s Harlow Carr set to reopen next week

RHS Garden Harlow Carr is reopening to the public next week with social distancing measures in place.

The garden has been closed throughout the coronavirus lockdown but has now announced it will reopen on Monday, June 1 - with a new booking system in place to limit the number of people at any one time.

A number of measures have been put in place to protect the safety of both staff and visitors and abide by social distancing rules.

These include:

- Strictly limited numbers of pre-booked tickets available for each day

- Restrictions on the number of customers allowed to shop at any one time, and a maximum of two people per household allowed into the garden centre together

- Separate entry and exit points to the garden and garden centre

- Floor markings to indicate appropriate distances while queueing in the garden centre and the garden entrances

- Screens at the welcome desks and checkouts to protect staff

- Hand sanitiser available to staff and visitors at strategic points

- Card transactions only – no cash payments

Ticket availability will be limited, and anyone arriving at the garden without a pre-booked ticket will be asked to book for the next available session.

Booking is open from today, Friday, May 29.

Harlow Carr will be open from 10am to 4pm daily.

Sue Biggs, RHS Director General, said: “We are delighted that the Government has said it is safe to reopen our RHS Gardens because it is proven that spending time outside in green open spaces surrounded by plants has an immensely positive effect on our health.

“We look forward to welcoming our members and visitors safely back from June 1 and to bringing the joy of plants, flowers, trees and nature back into people’s lives, which for so many will be a much needed tonic.

“We will of course be operating at a limited capacity and will have measures in place to ensure that all safety guidelines are followed because our number one priority is to support the Government’s efforts to limit the spread of the virus.

“We are concerned that people will not pre-book tickets so a plea from me to anyone planning to visit an RHS Garden is that it is imperative you book a timed slot in advance on the RHS website. Sadly, we will be turning away anyone who hasn’t pre-booked.

“And finally a huge thank you to all our members for your support and patience throughout this challenging time. As a charity, we couldn’t possibly have looked after our nationally important plant collections or kept our gardens looking beautiful over the past few months without your support so I wish you the most wonderful and enjoyable visits as you certainly deserve it.”

RHS is also opening its other gardens across the country. It says it will continue to monitor the situation carefully and follow the latest Government advice and guidelines - taking relevant action immediately if there are any changes.

To book, visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens